Eighty five year old Boa Sr died earlier this year in the Andaman Islands (Bay of Bengal), taking with her the language Bo. Buried with Boa, and the language Bo, are also customs and a way of living. Language is nation’s most valued treasure – it is a communication wheel and an expression of culture. While cause of language Bo’s extinction was colonization, nowadays an increasing number of people put their native language on a worrisome temporary postponement.
People naturally lose some of their first language when they move to a new country. It suffers whether the move lasts one year, or forever. Accents disappear first, and then word pool decreases in volume. A person finds herself drumming to different slang, and wondering why getting coffee has some other meaning.
In physical sense language is a muscle that weakens if not ‘exercised’ regularly. Don’t exercise it for a few months, and there is a price to pay. Same muscle qualities, however, allow it to resurrect with renewed practice. It doesn’t have to be hard: a newspaper here, a book there, and very quickly one can be in the best (language) shape of their life. Try the tips below!
1. READ
If you move from your country of origin at the age of ten, you will have a vocabulary of a ten year old in your native language. If you leave at nineteen, the vocab stays at nineteen as well. You have to read to improve volume of the words you use. Start reading websites, news portals, articles, and blogs. Web is a limitless resource in every language imaginable. Continue on with a few classics in your language. Try reading Dostoevsky, or read books written by the country’s great writers.
2. SPEAK
Once I arrogantly laughed at a French professor who warned that if I didn’t take time to speak Bosnian every day, I could get into a habit of forgetting it. He believed speaking was a sure way to cultivate language knowledge, and flow. He was right, (so thank you Mr. Fitzgerald, I dedicate this post to you)! When you move to a different environment, and immerse in a new life, you pick up that environment’s customs, language, and thoughts. Not practicing your first language results in a deficit. Pretty soon you will be translating thoughts word for word. Literal translations lose the meaning, aid the loss of words, and cause the flow of language to be choppy. So – speak at every opportunity you get, and create opportunities to speak in your first language when there are none. Call up a friend that speaks the same language. Get in touch with your family. Talk with your mother! If you’ve gotten into a bad habit of speaking your second language with the fam, take every effort to change this. (Even if it means stopping mid-sentence and starting over again.) Take a friend from your country of origin to dinner. Start a book club, an appreciation group, or Skype with someone! Remember that each time you take the easy route, you are that much poorer.
3. WRITE
Writing is the third most important tool in keeping up to date with your first language. The act of putting words on paper, and later reading them helps you practice the alphabet, format your thoughts logically, and brush up sentence construction. If you wanted to start a journal to document your road to success this is your chance. All you need is a notebook / writing pad, and a pen. If you prefer typing, start a blog about something that interests you. (Example: recipes, fashion, design, history… ) You can also contact a newspaper, or an online news portal and market your articles. If you are a private person who prefers to communicate with a few people, then stick to emails or snail-mail. Find a pen-pal. Just make sure you spend time writing weekly.
4. TRANSLATE
If you have a mastery of grammar and sharp writing skills, then translating may be a perfect way for you to maintain your language skills. To translate, you will not only be using the first three tips excessively, but you will have to translate the meaning of the matter you are translating. Finding adequate words that translate meaning from one language to another also commands a knowledge of cultures. If you feel confident with the above requirements, start translating small pieces for free, and progress from there. Most places will not require you to have an interpreter’s degree if the quality and volume of your work is of a high caliber. Once your portfolio is polished start charging for your language skills.
5. ELEMENTARY GRAMMAR
By the time a child finishes elementary school they have been provided the opportunity to learn correct grammar of their first language. If you’ve forgotten some basic grammar rules ask a friend to send you an elementary school language book, and a practice workbook. Dedicate a couple of hours to it weekly. It is not embarrassing to forget the things you no longer use, what’s embarrassing is knowing you forgot and not doing anything about it.
6. LISTEN
Put on some nostalgic old music. Scout out new bands and singers. Most radio stations with websites stream live which means that you can now listen at the same time as it’s being broadcast. Ask a friend to recommend a radio show, or a station, and tune in.
7. WATCH
Same as radio stations: some TV stations stream, and there is always the satellite dish. Also, Netflix carries a great amount of foreign films, so grab your country’s classics.
8. NEW CONCEPTS
Just as you leave your country of origin with a certain vocabulary, you also leave it with the knowledge you’ve acquired until that point in time. We learn something new every day, and the worst thing to assume is that concepts translate word for word. When you learn a new concept or a historical detail, strive to translate it right away. Grab a dictionary, encyclopedia, or a history book, and learn what the event/person/place/thing is called in your first language. Concepts and history are interpreted in different ways across the globe, and although most concepts will be the same this is not the rule. By translating new concepts you not only improve your language skills, but your general knowledge as well.
9. TUTOR
There is a saying that a teacher appears when you are ready to learn. This works both ways. When you are ready to teach, a student appears. Believe it or not, there are people at this very moment who want to learn your native language for fun, as a job requirement, or both. Do local colleges in your area offer your first language? If yes, would they hire a tutor, or allow one to post fliers on campus? If no, has there been an interest in the language? To teach at most universities, you will have to have a degree /certificate, however you can always meet the professor and ask for a short spot in class, introduce yourself to the students, and offer your tutoring services. Additional tip: State Department language schools can be a good place to start tutoring also.
10. KIDS
Many people fail to teach their first language to their kids. Understand that your laziness is robbing your children of an invaluable resource, and get to work! Studies say it is best to speak to child in your native language only, and to never switch. For example: if you speak French, and your partner speaks English, (and you’re living in an English speaking country) you would speak to your children in French only, and your partner in English only. If for both of you French is the first language (and you live in an English speaking country), pick who will speak in French, and who in English. If you haven’t been consistent, your kids are probably going to pout about having to learn. Give it a few years. They’ll love you when they’re all grown up and bilingual.
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Tags: Advice